Why No Weight Loss From Swimming Training?
Why Swimming Doesn’t Burn Fat And How To Lose Weight Swimming
Feb 22, 2009
Swimming training provides many health benefits such as improving endurance, strength and flexibility. But many swimmers see no weight loss from swimming.
Swimming Training And Why Swimming Doesn’t Burn Fat
According to the author of The Fat Stripping Diet, Shane Billsborough, “one of the most common misconceptions about exercise and fat loss is that swimming is a good exercise for burning fat”.
The following are some theories of why there is no weight loss from swimming training.
The Act Of Swimming Doesn’t Burn Fat
It is widely accepted that a high heart rate is needed to burn fat. Swimming training doesn’t get the heart rate high enough as most work is done by the arms. The biggest muscles in the legs usually just drag along for the ride.
Because the swimmer is in a horizontal position, the heart doesn’t work hard as it isn’t pumping against the force of gravity like when upright and running.
Swimmers may be fairly comfortable in the water and don’t push themselves hard.
Technique can be a factor, as a poor swimming style can mean the swimmer simply can’t get the heart beating faster.
Swimming In Cold Water
Because water provides a cooling affect on the body, it is considered the body of a regular swimmer will build an insulating layer of fat under the skin.
It is thought that being cold increases the body’s appetite. Therefore, after swimming in cold water a swimmer may eat more to satisfy the food craving.
Another theory is based on the concept that the body’s metabolism works at a higher rate as the body temperature increases. When swimming in cold water, the metabolism doesn’t kick along at the higher rate than if doing the same amount of exercise out of the water.
Shane Billsborough looks at this another way by stating that a swimmer’s body doesn’t have to use energy to get back to normal temperature after a workout. Whereas a person doing land based training, such as running, will need energy to reduce the body’s temperature to normal.
Genetics of Swimmers
The genetics theory of why swimming doesn’t burn fat is that good swimmers (or people who simply prefer swimming over the high impact activities like running and gym workouts) are more prone to a higher body fat content. This provides increased buoyancy in the water which improves their swimming style and leads them to enjoy swimming.
Swimming Training Burns The Wrong Type Of Energy
Shane Billsborough states that the one of the reasons swimming training doesn’t burn fat is because swimming burns the wrong type of energy. “Sports science has found that although swimming, running and cycling use the same amount of energy, recent evidence suggests that swimming uses more glucose for energy, while land based training … utilises more fat.”
How To Lose Weight Swimming
The general consensus on how to lose weight swimming is a combination of the following:
- Push the swimming harder, faster and longer. Stroke correction from a local swimming club or coach may be useful.
- Resist the urge to eat copious amounts of food after swimming.
- The warmer the water the better.
- Combine swimming training with high impact exercise such as walking, riding or cycling.
- Cut down the amount of energy taken into the body as food.
Swimming Training For Overall Health Benefits
The best advice is to keep swimming, even in the home pool. Any exercise is better than nothing. And even if the weight doesn’t reduce, there is satisfaction the rest of the body is getting a solid workout.
For information on the development of freestyle swimming refer to History and Development of Freestyle Swimming.
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